It's Simple
by squeakyducks
Summary: Everyone's life is complicating, but Santana feels hers is the worst. Until she meets a blonde beauty at the hospital and her life takes a turn for the fairy tale-ish, or nightmarish.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **For those waiting on my other series, I'm terribly sorry to say that I've currently got no motivation to write it, and with this dopamine deficiency, I wouldn't do it well, so it's on hold. Sorry ):

So I've compensated you with another story. It's much shorter and I'll finish it with chapters lesser in number than the fingers on your hand.

**Disclaimer:** Thou Shalt Not Steal. I didn't, they belong to who they belong to and that's not me.

* * *

**It's Simple**

It's Simple

People tend to over think situations and hence making them seem much more complicating than they really are.

But can you really blame them?

Not really, not when the world's drenched in complications right down to it's very core.

Everyone's life is complicating, but Santana's? It's basically a ball of tangled thread that no one can unravel.

Not her family, not her friends and not even Mr Hutcherson, the best surgeon ever to exist in the world - or so they say.

So that's why she finds herself standing in front of the brick building - that basically defines her life- for the nth time on her way to pay her weekly instalments of this constant debt she owes to her ailing body.

And for what? She always asks because when you pay, you're always doing it in exchange for something.

The answer's simple yet so very complicating; just for a chance to see the week after this.

* * *

The automated sliding door gears open with the dullest 'ding!' she's ever heard, and she has heard a multitude of 'dings' in her life considering the number of hospitals and 24 hour pharmacies she's been to before finally settling in Lima Ohio, so _that's_ saying something.

She sighs as the smell of antiseptic invades her nose and her flats hit the marble floor with an overtly familiar 'clock'. She loved the sound of shoes upon marble ground before, but it was beginning to remind her of too many things she would rather not remember, so now she settles for a pair of slippers everywhere she goes. Except, her red and white Havianas have broken from being worn too many times, hence the black flats.

"Santana, hey," the pharmacist greets and effectively draws Santana out of her dark thoughts. She couldn't be more relieved to see the brunette's bright smile behind the sickly green counter.

"Hey Kirby!" She greets back with a smile to match his.

He already had an arm extended with a piece of paper hanging at the tip of his fingers but quickly retraces his arm as she nears the counter and reaches for it.

Santana eyes the queue number now pressed to his chest questioningly and then looks up at the boy whose green eyes have widened comically.

She inches towards him, widening her eyes to mock his, "what? Did my brow finally disappear?" she wiggles them just to amuse herself further.

"I told you not to call me that!" he whispers harshly through gritted teeth and glances behind Santana.

She follows his line of sight curiously and sucks her lips into her mouth to stifle her giggle upon seeing a lab coat clad doctor with excessively gelled hair that was the clear source of Kurt's exasperation.

"And that's not funny Santana," he continues, eyes now brimming with concern.

She absolutely hates it when people act like everyone has to watch what they say in front of her. She abhors being treated like she's a glass doll in the presence of a raging bull.

_She'_s the freaking raging bull.

Her mood changes from lighthearted glee to solemn hostility in a split second and she lunges for the piece of paper in Kurt's now slack grasp.

He gasps at her sudden movement.

"My_ buddy_ up there doesn't mind devouring all the hair, why should you?"

She whirls around angrily to walk away.

"I-I'm sorry Santana."

The blue seat located closest to the wall catches her attention like it always does when she's feeling down and she contemplates simply walking over and plopping down on it with attitude, but Kurt had sounded so incredibly apologetic that she just has to turn back mid way.

"I'll be at my seat then, Madame Kurt-sy," she says with a purposeful sweet voice and then does an exaggerated curtsy.

Kurt's smile was a mixture of relief and apology when he shouts back,  
"I'll ignore the pun and blatant jab at my sexuality this time!"

"You wouldn't dare try anything anyways! You know I'd eat your hair!"

Their guffaws fill the empty room and all's forgiven.

* * *

The next time she regains her consciousness was due to a weird feeling on her left thigh. It felt like the ceiling had a leak and water was dripping onto her thigh and making her jeans moist and uncomfortable.

She scrunched her face up with disgust before finally cracking her eye open.

Turns out, the ceiling wasn't leaking and the wetness on her jeans wasn't just water.

Santana jumps in her seat and the blue chair clatters against the wall behind loudly. The monster of a cat leaps off her lap, startled as well.

"What the fu-"

"Don't!"

She'd thought a salivating cat would be a surprise enough for the day, well, apparently not. As she tilted her head up to the owner of the leashed, salivating monster of a cat with all intention to reprimand her, she couldn't help but hold her breath at the -literally- breathtaking view of sparkling cobalt eyes, gleaming right back at her.

Bright eyes holds her gaze before leaning towards her and Santana's body goes completely rigid, was she about to do what she thinks she's about to do?

No, of course not.

She's targeting for Santana's ear and as she gets close enough to whisper into it, Santana vaguely registers a warning but discovers that bright eyes has blonde hair that's shiny like the sun and smells exquisite; Oranges.

It disappears as quickly as it came and before she knew it, blondie has moving away and standing back straight.

Santana shudders as her cheek grazes against the cool surface of the blonde's cheekbone.

"What?" She could only weakly ask the cat owner to repeat herself, too ashamed to admit that she hadn'tcaught what was said because she smelt so nice.

"I said," the woman furrows her brows and begins to lean in again. This time, Santana manages to jerk away and shake her head.

"No, no, just say it," she almost pleads, raising her hands and placing it in between them.

The blonde brows furrows again and Santana feels almost guilty for causing it.

"Mmmm," she appears to ponder, pinching her lips to side and tilting her head a little before crouching down to level herself with the cat and using her hands to cover the feline's ears.

"I said don't swear in front of Lord T, he'll pick it up like he picked up smoking," she looks back up to Santana who had a tiny smile splayed across her face, "and my uncle's diabetes."

"I'm sorry..." She pauses so that the woman would fill the blank in.

"Brittany," the blonde does as prompted and takes away her hands so that she could pat the cat's head, giggling as it purred and nuzzled against the fingers massaging it's scalp.

"Brittany."

Santana couldn't help but find the exchange unbearably endearing and although thinks cats mostly repulsive, finds herself leaning downwards until her fingers tips are grazing the tip of the cat's head. When the cat jerks and looks at her like she'd just violated some kind of cat rule she almost seconds guesses her actions but then she's looking up and there's Brittany smiling at her with her impeccably white teeth and mesmerising blue eyes and she thinks she may have taken a liking to cats.

Even if they were big, fat and drool like sexually excited dogs.

"And he's Lord Tubbington."

_TIC-TACS_.

* * *

"So where did you get him?"

It's been a few hours and she's sure her doctor's probably been waiting a long time as well, but Brittany had settled onto the seat next to hers and brought her legs up to the chair so that she could fully face Santana.

Everything else can wait.

Lord Tubbington purrs on the combined armrests of both their chair as if knowing Santana was talking about him.

She looks down at the cat and smiles when she catches it's green eyes looking right back at her.

"Lord T?"

"Yeah," she looks back up and crosses her legs onto the seat.

"He wandered into my home one night, settled under my couch and never left," Brittany shrugged indifferently but looks at the over grown feline like it's one of the best things that has ever happened to her.

"He's cute."

It surprises her that it's actually genuine; that she wasn't simply trying to impress the girl.

"Yeah?"

Their eyes lock again and she isn't able to control it when she says breathily, "they say the pets take after their owners."

It takes awhile for her to realise what she had said and her eyes widen as Brittany's narrow into suspicious slits.

"Oh, my, gosh," she breaths, reprimanding herself internally and dropping her feet to the ground with a loud thud.

"I look like a cat?" Brittany asks, surprised and confused at the same time, touching her face with her fingers and checking for the presence of whiskers.

"No I-"

"Ohhhhh..." When she finally gets it and a blush begins to taint her cheeks.

"Shit, Brittany I-I'm so sorry I-"

She trails away when Brittany's features soften until she has a simper on her lips and is looking at Santana in a way Santana just _knows_ she's seen before

"Are friends of the owners part of the equation as well?"

Santana's glad she was blessed with coloured skin to cover the redness that would undeniably be on her cheeks but she's most thankful that Brittany had pale skin, because she looks absolutely amazing with the awkward red flush.

The moment breaks and shatters into a million pieces when the shrill voice of Kurt rings across the waiting room.

"SANTANA! YOU'RE STILL HERE?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THERE 30 MINUTES AGO!"

In one second, Santana's looking at Kurt with wide flummoxed eyes, in the next she sees Brittany's eyebrow raised in amusement, then the blonde's inching towards her again, mouth moving with words she couldn't swiftly decipher and before she could even count to the third second, she's pulled off her seat by Brittany and heading across the hospital to the exit with Kurt's voice hot on their heels.

The sliding door's 'ding' never sounded so alive and her heart hasn't beat so rapidly in a long long time.

There's burning in her lungs and throat by the time they're halfway across the car park and hoping into a maroon range rover but she thinks nothing of it, all that's in her mind is the indispensable image of how Brittany had been looking at her moments before Kurt so rudely interrupted.

Hadn't Brittany looked at Lord Tubbington the same way just seconds before?

* * *

Now now, don't go running out of hospitals and sit your ass down.

Unless it's Brittany pulling your hand and you're Santana, then by all means.

I apologise yet again (: Have a great day!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for the support guys! here's chapter 2.

As i said, this is a short series with short chapters so you guys can read it anytime anywhere.

Have fun!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing. They belong to whoever they belong to.

* * *

**It's Simple: Chapter 2**

****There's nothing in the car except the low humming of the vehicle and heavy breathing on Santana's side.

It's been close to 15 minutes after the intense adrenaline rush but her heart hasn't stopped beating like bongos in a allegro tempo-ed musical. She doesn't really know the reason why and frankly it's beginning to hurt, not to mention the feeling of nausea's unsettling at the pit of her stomach.

It begins with a small lurch she feels in her abdomen, like a wave of liquid trying to escape via her mouth, then the second time she feels the lurch, she _tastes_ the bitter bile on her tongue.

She fears the third.

Just as anticipated the third lurch comes along with a warning gurgle that's sickening to her own ears.

"Britt-Brittany, I'm g-go-"

"Bag's behind my seat," Brittany quickly says, glancing at Santana briefly with concern.

If the Latina hadn't been too caught up with reaching behind for the white plastic bag and holding the vomit in, she'd notice the concern Brittany had for her wasn't one that she'd defile her vehicle's carpet like Santana was fearing by herself.

She doesn't have time to over think and evaluate another person's gaze for she's leaning into the plastic bag as far as she could go, and emptying the contents of her stomach into it with loud, vomit inducing -if the puke itself isn't already- splats.

It goes on like she's a freaking fountain. She can't will it to stop and she's beginning to think that her organs are going into the plastic bag along with their contents.

She feels Brittany pull-over and she wants to apologise for the inconvenience, but then Brittany's reaching over the centre console; running the flat of her palm down Santana's back in one fluid repetitive motion and cooing into the woman's ear,

"It's okay, San. It's okay. You can stop now."

And she does.

The vomit stops and it's like magic.

_Brittany's_ like magic.

* * *

They dispose of the bag, that's surprisingly heavy and three quarters full, into a large green bin behind a cafe.

Brittany's all smiles but Santana's everything _but._

She's way beyond embarrassed and frustrated that her body requires to be taken care of like it's that of a baby. The anger boiling for that reason can only be fuelled further by the fact that Brittany is now the one to take care of her.

It's barely been half a day and she has embarrassed herself to no end.

"Impress the girl? No freaking way, I'm going to puke in her car," she mocks herself, mouthing it silently and picking at her nails fervently when Brittany has left her alone at the booth in the cafe to place their orders.

"Do you always talk to yourself? Or are you talking to Lord T," Brittany asks, amused as she flops herself down onto the seat opposite.

Santana jumps in the booth and brings a hand up to clutch at her chest.

"Do you _have_ to scare me? It's like what? The third time already," her eyes wide as she says, "and anyways I can't be talking to your cat so I'm probably just talking to myself," her shoulders slump forward in defeat when she confesses.

"Why can't you talk to Lord T?" Brittany questions instead of mocking her like Santana thought she would.

"Cause you're not allowed to bring pets into the cafe?" Santana explains, hiding her relief by pointing to the sign that said 'No Pets Allowed' and diverting Brittany's attention.

Brittany only looks at the sign briefly before turning back with a sly smile dancing on her lips, "I know," she shrugs, sucks her lips into her mouth in one endearing action and looking to the ceiling.

It dawns on Santana why Brittany had such an expression and she leans forward, "oh my gosh, did you bring Lord T in?"

Brittany's eyes are wide and excited when she nods her head vigorously.  
"He's hungry and he isn't a pet, he's my friend."

The blonde leans forward as well and Santana's smile stretches at how genuine Brittany was saying all that.

"We could get thrown out of the cafe you know?"

"I know, but if you don't say and I don't say and Tina doesn't say and Lord T doesn't meow, no one would know."

Santana has to muffle the laughter bubbling up her throat.

"That's an awful lot of people and who's Tina?"

Blue eyes light up immediately and Santana feels a pang of jealousy.  
"Oh! She's a waitress here."

Just that moment, Brittany looks up over their conversation of extreme secrecy to a waitress of Asian ethnicity, stalking over with a large smile.

"Here's your skinny flat white and fish and chips," she announces as she carefully places the dishes in front of Santana and then in front of Brittany, "and here's your disgusting cuppa milkshake and wonderful, award winning meatball bolognese."

Santana brows furrow at the rude commentary but Brittany simply chuckles.

"I take it that Mike made the milkshake and you made the bolognese?"

"Touché," Tina nods her head, "He still hasn't apologised. Anyways, enjoy the meal you _three_," she squints at Brittany who's now staring at her warningly, bright smile no where to be found.

Santana watches their exchange as Tina holds Brittany's gaze adamantly and she wonders why Brittany's so cautious about The Lord Tubbington Secret, then she considers that maybe it was something else.

"Bye Touchy," Tina finally says, enunciating every word to make sure Brittany hears it and reaching towards Brittany and wiggling her fingers before stalking away with an air of triumph.

Brittany slumps back into the chair puffing her cheeks and it's a clear sign who won and who lost, except, what _was_ the competition?

"What was going on? And why did she call you Touchy?" The moment the second question hits the table, she regrets it, for she doesn't think she'd be able to handle the answer if it's what she fears it is.

Brittany sits up straight with an adorable little pout that Santana couldn't help but be momentarily distracted by. The blonde shakes her head petulantly, blonde hair swinging left and right.

"It's embarrassing."

Santana smiles a little despite feeling a little anxious for the answer, "I embarrassed myself earlier by puking like a fountain in your car, so now it's your turn. Fifty, fifty."

"It's not your fault San," she sighs, and Santana's heart just about does a whole routine of gymnastics; olympic worthy.

_San_.

"I did drag you out of the hospital after all."

Her voice is a little quieter when she says, "well I did come with you didn't I?"

At that, Brittany finally looks up from pouting at her plate, "yeah," she bobs her head, "yeah you did."

* * *

Brittany's the first to break their trance -that's beginning to happen quite frequently- and begins to explain her exchange with Tina earlier.

"It was in high school years ago," she begins and Santana braces herself,

"and we were at this party at some Jockey's house and it was sooo crowded and sweaty, so Tina and I sought refuge and solitude at an empty room upstairs," she holds her breath at where the story was going,

"it was a long time ago and the in word then was '_TOUCHÉ_' but I couldn't really pronounce the word so I shouted '_TOUCHY'_ when a bunch of guys walked into the room and announced 'you two beautiful girls deserve a drink'. I got mocked everyday after that."

Santana's sigh of relieve was long and satisfying and she laughs breathily.

"Oh, hah. I see."

"Why? Did you think it meant something else?"

It catches Santana off guard and she's momentarily stunned before her eyes begin to search the cafe eagerly for her salvation.

It comes in the form of a movie she'd watched several days ago and couldn't for the life of her -however short it may be- understand it.

"Have you watched that show?" She jerks her head towards the television hanging above the table of condiments.

Brittany's look of mischief turns curious and she whirls around to see what Santana was analysing.

"The Fountain by Darren Aronofsky. Have you watched it?"

"Yeah, yes I have." Brittany turns back around and looks at Santana like she's already anticipating the question.

"Did you understand the show?" She tries her luck, knowing no one else she's asked has ever understood it or that everyone else had varying opinions that she just didn't find right.

"It's such a complicating show," Santana continues to prod and pokes her fork into the battered fish on her plate, giving another shot at understanding the movie.

"No it's not."

She's surprised, this time differently from the first three and Santana snaps her head up to look at Brittany whose body language and facial expression is all relaxed and indifferent.

"It is?"

"Yeah. It's not complicating at all."

"It's not?"

Brittany giggles and brings the large of cup milkshake closer to her and takes a long drink.

"So what do you think it's about?" Santana asks again, curious at what Brittany's view would be.

"It's unbelievably strong, transcends time and never ends," the blonde begins to explain,

And the answer shocks Santana to every degree.

"It's simple," Brittany puts down the heavy cup, leans onto the arms she has crossed atop the wooden table and holds Santana's gaze with her inimitable cobalt eyes, gleaming and dazzling,

"It's love."

* * *

There's chapter 2!

Have a great, simple day (:


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: ** Hi (: hope you're enjoying this so far.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, they belong to whoever they belong to.

* * *

**It's Simple: Chapter 3**

They're half way into their meal when Brittany begins to feed her 'belly' with small chunks of meatballs.

"I need to feed my belly now," she had announced before actually doing it.

Santana watches the girl for awhile as she picks up the pieces of brown meat and brings it into her pink hoodie, waiting for her to look up with that playful smirk she has when she's joking.

The moment never comes.

"You know you look completely ridiculous and it's really obvious," she says, meaning for it to be accusatory but has such a wide smile on her face.

Brittany purses her lips and sighs through her nose defeatedly, "yeah, but I've got to feed Tubbs, I can hear his stomach grumbling."  
She then proceeds to make gurgling sounds with her mouth and wiggling her fingers in the air.

Santana giggles when Lord Tubbington meows like he knows Brittany's making fun of him.

"Careful, he can hear you. So where're we going after this?" Santana asks, finishing the last of her skinny flat white and heaving a satisfied breath.

So far, the day has been lovely. It must be her lucky day, not to be in a disinfected, white room with a tube stuck up her arm while she struggles to read a boring old magazine just to keep entertained, and to instead be in the company of a stunningly beautiful, bright eyed, stranger. She doesn't want it to end just yet. In fact, she doesn't think she ever wants it to end.

Brittany scratches the feline's protruding head whilst scrunching her nose up adorably and shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't know? I was thinking of sending you straight back to the hospital."

Santana's body jerks straight in a movement so abrupt that the patrons in the other booths have turned their heads over.

"No, No, Brittany. Not yet, please."

She doesn't care about the unwanted attention, she just doesn't want to go back to the hospital.

Tears begin to collect at her lower lids as she looks at the silent Brittany, pleading with her eyes.

Fortunately for Santana, all it took was the sunlight to hit her eyes for Brittany to pick up the extra reflection in them; the tears.

Blue eyes soften and the smirk that was upon her lips disappears in an instant, and that's when Santana realises that Brittany was simply joking. She wasn't going to send Santana back to the hospital, at least not yet.

She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel angry or relieved, so she simply settles for both and closes her eyes, breathing a steadying breath out to calm her fraying nerves.

It's silent and she's almost convinced that she has fallen asleep when she feels a sudden influx of warmth against her left cheek and distinctively registers the careful thumb tickling under her lids.

Her body goes rigid.

"Santana," she hears, "open your eyes,

Please."

Santana doesn't move and waits for the urge to slap Brittany's hand away to arise like it should.

But it doesn't and it's weird.

It's weird that she doesn't feel like slapping Brittany's hand away and demanding an explanation for having such audacity, after all, they DID just meet.

It's weird, but she does, she opens her eyes and blue eyes are the first thing she sees. They're bright, they're shiny, they're everything that's beautiful but most of all, they're so... So familiar.

"I'm sorry San," Brittany breathes when she succeeds in urging brown orbs to drift upwards and catch her own, "I'm so sorry."

Their eyes lock upon the other and Santana feels she should be doing so many things in this exact moment, but isn't able to will herself to; like looking away, or responding to Brittany's sincere, sincere apology.

Only, all she can think of is, _why_ is Brittany _looking_ at her like... This?

"Meow," The feline protests before she could ask, as if reading her mind and the moment breaks.

The moment is gone and it's no longer apt for her to ask the question that's at the tip of her tongue.

Santana detaches her cheek from Brittany's hand and averts her eyes when Brittany begins to look hurt at her blatant rejection.

No one speaks, or actually, no one really knows what to say, so the booth's silent.

It's awkward again. It's awkward with elusive eyes and audible gulps until Tina comes over with the bill.

"So L.P, who's gonna pay?" she deadpans, looking from one flushed and gloomy woman to the other.

Santana wants to inquire about this other nickname, L.P, but decides there's enough awkwardness for the day.

"I'll do it," Brittany offers, reaching into the pocket of her jean shorts and whipping out thirty dollars.

"You know the meal's only twenty five right?"

"Yeah. Tips," she says and Santana has the courtesy of muffling a chuckle at the smirk that's developing on Brittany's face. It's beginning to look all too familiar now.

"Why thank you," Tina smiles and Brittany does as Santana expected.

"Who says it's for you? It's for the wonderful person who made my wonderful cup of _milkshake_," making sure to enunciate the word.

Tina's face falls as she looks to Santana, "I don't even know why you're hanging out with this horrible excuse for a human being."

"She's a wonderful...alien?" Santana supplies, realising it sounded way better in her head, but she catches Brittany snapping her head to look at her in her peripheral vision, so she finds her ground and raises her shoulders up to her ears.

Tina looks at her weirdly.  
"That... Doesn't even make sense. _Now_ I know why you're hanging out with her," she turns back to Brittany and uses the bills she was given to tap Brittany on the shoulder, "I'm keeping the tips because mi boyfriend doesn't deserve it."

The Asian girl stalks away with an exaggerated roll of her eyes when Brittany begins to sing, "_my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard_."

"You know," Santana smirks, glad that the awful tension has been lifted and trying not to smile too wide from how adorable she thinks Brittany was being, "if you weren't saving me from the hospital, I would've gone all Lima Heights on you. For me, AND the good people of the state," she threatens like everyone should unanimously understand the meaning of that phrase.

"oh, you wouldn't bear to," Brittany declares and shrugs that shrug she keeps doing.

Santana mimics the action, because Brittany was nothing but right.

She wouldn't bear to.

* * *

When they leave the cafe, the sun's not to high up in the sky anymore and it's just beginning to get chilly.

"Are you kidnapping me? If you're kidnapping me please tell me," Santana sighs, exasperated after a long and gruelling game of guessing where Brittany is bringing them.

"Fine, I'm kidnapping you," Brittany confesses around the TIC-TAC she has in her mouth. The woman hasn't stopped popping TIC-TACS into her mouth and Santana just doesn't understand why?

Maybe she simply likes it.

"Wow, no one really tells you how to respond to _that_."

Brittany giggles and it's wonderful sound causes Santana to close her eyes.

The air settles down as the noise from their talking dissipates into the air and leaves a peaceful hum in it's wake. It's peaceful and it feels so foreign that she realises just how long it's been since she's had the privilege to feel this way. It's the best she's felt in a long time but it's nothing compared to the moment when a melody begins to ebb through the air and fills the car and it's Brittany humming.

Brittany's humming and it's light hearted and wonderfully soothing.

The melody begins to pick up and Santana finds that she knows the song and it puzzles her; the way Brittany was humming it, because it wasn't exactly a happy song, but the way the woman was humming it made it seem as if it was.

She lolls her head to the side and watches Brittany as she hums, grinning and bobbing her head.

"Y'know it isn't supposed to be happy right?"

"Mmm?" She hums, not taking her eyes off the road.

"The song, it isn't a happy one," she shakes her head against the head rest, hair scratching against the leather.

"Mmmm," Santana learns just how much Brittany likes to hum, and shrug, and smile, but she also notices that there's a different kind for everyone and this hum, was a thoughtful one.

"Why do you think so?" She asks.

"Why do I think so what?"

"That it's a sad song."

She's silent for awhile as she thinks of an answer, only able conjure up one, that's the strongest in her opinion, "because it's _meant_ to be sad?"

Brittany's eyebrows are furrowed when she asks, "how so?"

Santana get a little uncomfortable at the sudden shift of atmosphere and fidgets in her seat, "He sings about a broken relationship and it ends with him _losing_ her," she bobs her head along with her words.

Brittany doesn't say anything after Santana finishes her explanation, but the way her eyes are fixated onto the road with a stony glare makes Santana second guess her words.

"Y'know I'm not sure-" she rushes to salvage the situation.

"No one's sure what any song is about. There are endless interpretations to a single song. And besides, a single song is so short, made with so little words and a repetitive melody, who's to say the song's finished after it's... Finished? Anyways, a relationship can always be salvaged," Brittany turns around and shocks Santana with her strong glare.

Now she feels little remorseful and opens her mouth with intent to apologise, but something else catches her eye and seeing it makes her chest constrict.

Brittany's fingers were unconsciously fidgeting, her thumb playing with the silver band on her fourth finger and it's a _clear_ sign of a wedded woman.

Her chest hurt, her throat feels clogged and she just feels like puking again. Santana doesn't think it's even possible for her to feel this way about a stranger, but she's willing to bend and realise that maybe... Maybe she's falling for the blonde beauty with a drooling plus size cat, inimitable, dazzling blue eyes that dragged her out of the hospital like life's just a simple play of games where the goal was to be, happy. And apparently, that person's a married woman too.

She shifts her gaze when she realises that she's been staring at the sparkling diamond for longer than any normal person would.

It's probably for the better.  
She's not going to live long anyways and it's not like Brittany's falling for her too... Though she'd like to think the events that transpired between the both of them earlier would be evidence otherwise.

The relationship would just be painful and burdensome, more so for her partner then her, because she would be the one to leave first while the other grieves and pines for her until they get to leave too.

It reminds her of why she had begun to stray away from relationships after she was initially diagnosed with the deadly illness; when she was given the verdict that death will come much earlier for her than every other human being.

"I have brain cancer..." She whispers, not noticing that she'd said it out loud until Brittany supplies a confused, "huh?"

Santana decides that she should grasp this chance to connect with someone since she's presented with it. She doesn't think there'll be many left for her to grasp.

After a sharp intake of breath, she proposes, "let's play truth or dare."

Brittany squeals with that childlike vigour she's always got and Santana could help but be infected with it, feeling her mood lift as well, even if it was just a little.

"Okay! My phone has a lie detector," she nudges her head towards the black device on the dashboard.

Santana hesitates, "you know the app's just a chronic liar on it's on right? It's some kind of big irony."

The only thing that causes her to reach for the phone was the pink protruding lip from the seat beside her. She sighs and runs her thumb across the lower section of the phone, only to be presented with a request for a pass code.

She looks to Brittany, about to inquire about the pass code but stills when she catches Brittany already looking at her... Waiting.

"Guess it," she urges, blue eyes sparkling with mischief.

Santana arches a brow, knowing an iPhone would offer a time count if one punches in the wrong pass code three times, and subsequently a longer one for more wrong guesses.

"Seriously?"

Brittany's confident when she nods her head, holds Santana's gaze and says,

"for serious."

"A'ight, don't come demanding for compensation when your phone gets locked at count down for years."

Brittany smirks her signature smirk and juts her chin towards her phone before looking back toward the road.

It's stupid, but she tries 1234 and of course it's incorrect.

"Did you just try 1234?" Brittany asks, mirth dripping off her words.

Santana rolls her eyes playfully and snorts. "It just sort of seems like the kind of thing YOU'D do."

Brittany's head snaps to her direction so quickly it catches her attention. Her face is void of expression when she deadpans, "did you just insinuate that I'm dumb?"

Santana's eyes widen at that, "no, NO, I wasn't eve-"

Brittany chuckles and scrunches her face up, "you did, but I forgive you."

"I didn't. Why would I?" it's softer, almost too soft for one to hear when she says, "you're the smartest person I've ever met."

She thinks Brittany hadn't heard it because she's back to trying out pass codes to unlock the woman's phone, but Brittany did.

"Ditto."

* * *

A very weird thing happens and she's able to guess the passcode, but first, Brittany receives a phone call from a person who's caller ID is,

"Dolphin?"

Santana asks, staring at the vibrating phone in her hand.

Brittany jumps at it, reaching over the centre console for her phone, and when her fingers gain around the device, Santana tightens her grasp and disallows Brittany from getting her phone back.

It was amusing at first, to have someone in your phone be called, Dolphin, but her eyes drift down to the picture flashing on the screen and her heart does a little somersault, except it loses it's footing and skips a beat.

The girl's a beautiful brunette with silky wavy hair and a very, very, _very_ familiar pair of blue eyes. Dazzling, blue eyes.

"Don't be a douche Santana! Gimme my phone!" Brittany had stopped the car and was ready to start a full fledge war for her phone.

"Wait I..." She trails off, studying the girl's face. It struck her with such vivid familiarity that it hurts her head.  
Is it because the girl looked distinctively like Brittany or is it because...

The phone slides out of her hands and with an angry grunt, Brittany tumbles out of the car and slams the door behind her.

It jolts Santana out of her reverie and she realises how out of line she had been.

"Ugh," she knocks her head with the heel of her palm, "Santana, you just don't know how to freaking quit don't you?"

She leans forward recklessly and her forehead hits the dashboard with a 'thud'.

But she barely registers the pain, because she knows.

She knows!

With that, she fumbles to unbuckle her seat belt, hop off the car and set off to find Brittany.

* * *

She finds the woman only moments later. Brittany had stopped them at some kind of a park with houses of similar fashion flanking it.

Brittany was sitting on a bench in front of a little pond fills with yellow quacking ducks and she had just got off the phone. Looking a little gloomy and appears to be deep in thought.

Santana decides that this would be a better time than any.  
"Hey," she greets reluctantly, with her hands clasped together behind her bent back.

Brittany spares her one fleeting look that's lifeless and dull before looking back to her phone, that's lifeless and dull as well.

"That was rude Santana," she says softly and it makes Santana cringe because it _was_ rude.

Santana bends her knees and holds onto the wooden bench beside Brittany's knees to steady herself.

"Brittany?," she ducks her head when the blonde refuses to look up, "Britt-Britt please look up?" She pleads, not knowing what else she _could_ do.

It happens slowly, but surely, Brittany tilts her head up and looks Santana squarely in the eyes, waiting on what the woman wants to say.

The blue eyes she's seen so much of today were so, so blue and it reeks of a sense of betrayal. It's almost like a direct stab to her heart and her palms begin to get wet and clammy again.

"Look... I'm sorry okay?" Is all she can supply, because she really doesn't have an explanation for what she had done. The only reason she could think of was that the girl had looked so familiar, but that tags along with the other reason that it was simply because she was the splitting image of Brittany.

"For what?" Brittany's tone is strong and it's making Santana even more anxious.

"For withholding your phone from you. I shouldn't have... It's private stuff.."

Brittany sighs, looks down to her phone briefly before looking back up to Santana, "you know that's not the reason why I'm pissed at you right?"

But she doesn't.

"It's not?"

The blonde's expression becomes a little sad and so is her smile, which she finds a little oxymoronic. A sad smile?

"No," the woman shakes her head, "no it's not."

The wind's strong and Santana can hear it as it passes by and hit onto her ear drums like they're actual percussion instruments. She squats, no longer feeling her legs, looking at the blonde waiting for her to make a move.

The second time the wind hits them and Brittany's golden hair flies like fine lines of thread, orchestrated to dance a number that'll leave the audiences speechless, Santana makes a move she never knew she had the guts to make.

She straightens her knees and her elbows, moving her face dangerously close to Brittany's; nose barely inches apart. That catches Brittany's attention and the blonde _finally_ looks back up at her.

She knows it was _her_ who made the move to move closer, so she also knows that's it's _her_ who got herself into this pool of mess.

The cobalt eyes are so much more mesmerising up close. It's like she could never get enough of them; it's like she could look at them over and over and over again and discover different things every time. This time, she discovers that the eyes weren't just blue, they had specks of white and green in them, tiny little specks that makes the ensemble of blue that much more beautiful.

She was so dazzled that even a soft, "what are you doing?" from Brittany only serves to fuel her urge to move just the few inches and press her lips against Brittany's. She's been wanting to for the whole day already.

Her eyes flicker down to the tempting pink lips and then back up, just in time to catch Brittany do the same to hers. In fact, Brittany licks her lips while doing so.

Santana smirks, "I really really, _really_, want to kiss you right now.."

Brittany's eyes roll to the back a little; almost imperceptibly, but Santana catches it before her gaze is strong against her own again.

"Then do it."

Santana's smirk falters.

"Do _IT._"

With that, Santana moves forward and crashes their lips together.

* * *

There's chapter 3! Chapter 4 will probably be the concluding chapter, so stay tuned!

also, forgive all my mistakes, it's late and i'm scared. I really just want to hide under my blanket.

i dont even know why i have the time then to type all these.

ENJOY HAVE A NICE DAY BYE.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** To those who've failed to understand the fic, I'm terribly sorry. I hope you do soon.

Here's chapter 4. This one's longer than the others.

**Disclaimer:** They belong to whoever they belong to.

* * *

**It's Simple: Chapter 4**

She moves in a little too aggressively and she feels a sting on her upper lip when her front teeth grazes against the back of it. Judging by the muffled yelp she hears from Brittany, Santana's willing to bet that the blonde had hurt her upper lip too.

Santana pulls away quickly and ducks her head, too embarrassed to meet Brittany's eyes.

How many trip ups can one person have in _one_ day?

She waits. She waits for Brittany to crack a joke or say something wise or even for the woman to slap her.  
Anything.

But there's nothing but silence from Brittany and Santana takes it as her queue to say something. The thing is, she has absolutely no clue what to say,  
so she settles for what she's been doing for the whole day now; apologising.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't even know _why_ I did that," she shakes her head disapprovingly at herself.

Then it comes. She feels it before she hears it and Brittany's laughing. The blonde begins to laugh without any restrictions; guffawing and it's confusing. Santana doesn't know what's so funny and could only stare at the thoroughly amused blonde with knitted brows, though she really couldn't deny that it was infectious and that she was glad for the sudden shift of atmosphere.

The sides of her lips are twitching and she's trying her best not to smile when she asks, "what's so funny?"

It causes Brittany to pause and look at her before she starts laughing again.

The laughing goes on for awhile and Santana's confusion and amusement turns into anger when it dawns on her that Brittany might be laughing at her.

"Stop laughing!" She demands, slamming the heel of her palm onto the seat and causing the entire bench to shake.

It catches Brittany's attention and the girl stops laughing although she wasn't able to keeps her lips from spreading into a wide smile. She looks at Santana, eyes watery from all the laughing and mocks, "Is this your first kiss?"

The tiny ember at the pit of Santana stomach explodes. She could feel her cheeks heating up from both humiliation and anger.

Was Brittany laughing at her?

With a hard glare locked on Brittany, Santana moves her feet, heel scratching against the apex of the backrest and seat to interlock behind Brittany's back and bringing them closer.

Brittany gasps when she slides down the seat from the bold urging of Santana's feet and her chest presses against Santana.

It's lustful and Brittany's eyes are brimming with anticipation and it's just as she wants it to be. She begins to lean in, determined to show Brittany _just_ how much of a first kiss this wasn't, until she feels the bench begin to tremble and shake and before they knew it, they're free falling backwards.

The bench had edged off it's hinges and was now falling back onto the grassy ground behind them.

Contrary to the anger she had felt earlier, Santana's first instinct was to protect Brittany.

She moves to engulf Brittany's head into a hug, pressing the sides of their faces together and interlocking her hands behind the woman's head so she wouldn't hurt it.

The moment of impact was a loud crash and the result of Santana's instinctive protective streak was the knocking of her forehead onto the ground with a loud thud which Brittany hears and hurries to check.

Santana's eyes were screwed shut and at first it was only her forehead that was stinging but then it quickly becomes her entire head and she's quickly reminded of her illness.

This can't be good for brain cancer.

There's so much pain and pounding in her head she feels it all the way to the neck and it's all she can hear, until Brittany squeaks a, "shit San, are you okay?"

Then she's running her fingers all over her face, circling the part of her forehead where it hurts the most and Santana, even with all the pounding in her head, could pick up the tremble in her voice that says that the blonde is crying.

The pain quells almost as quickly as her heart swells.

The first thing that she feels she should do isn't even to tell Brittany that she has brain cancer and that they should head back to the hospital instantly, the first thing that she feels she should do is to lighten the mood and stop Brittany's tears from escaping.

She cracks her right eye open -because she had hit the left side of her forehead and she really can't open her left eye just yet- and realises that she's not too late yet. Brittany's eyes were brimming with tears still yet unshed and she was determined to prevent those precious tears from actually dropping, so she smiles, she feels her mouth quivering and she feels weak but she makes sure to keep her lips stretched as much as she can and looks at the girl.

"_Dandy_" She tries, hating how it had come out so much weaker than she had intended it to be; which was not weak at all.

Brittany stalls for awhile before huffing in relief and smiling. Her blue eyes are shining with it's usual child like vigour again and Santana's relieved as well.

Wanting so desperately to keep it that way, she fights to keep her eyes open and mind sober and says, "August the twelfth."

She watches Brittany's eyes widen and even as her vision gets hazier and it's getting harder to stay sober, she registers the look Brittany was giving her. It's THAT look. The look that Brittany keeps giving her; that one look that confuses her to no end.

It doesn't really matter now though.

All that matters now is making Brittany happy.

"0812," she tries to smile but her lips twitches upwards instead, "that's your passcode.

The last thing she sees and through marred vision at that, is the lone tear that escapes Brittany's right eye.

* * *

The next time she wakes up, her head's resting on a soft soft pillow and it's peaceful.

Peaceful like the whole day has been; peaceful like it hasn't been for the many days before this.

Her head's throbbing and her forehead's stinging but it isn't so bad when your hair's tugging a little and your scalp's being massaged. Someone's running their fingers through her hair gently and it feels so good.

"Mmm," she hums.

The hand stops it's ministrations and her brows furrow, only for her to gasp in pain when her forehead stretches and a sharp pain hits her like an alarm clock, shocking the sleep out of her completely.

"Ow," she scrunches up her nose and lifts her hand to touch the part of he forehead where it hurts.

"Don't," she hears and feels a warm hand encircle her wrist, stopping her from touching her wound. Her heart begins to throb rapidly from the touch and she can now smell a faint scent of oranges.

It's then that it dwells upon her who she's with.

Santana opens her eyes quickly -or as quickly as her sore face would allow. The first thing she sees is Brittany's blue eyes and the immaculate white teeth from her beautiful smile.

The sky's a dark canvas behind the woman. Before she was the sun, now she's the moon.

Santana smiles.

Because it's great to wake up to Brittany. She only wishes she had all her life to do it.

"Hey," she breathes, throat scratchy from her sleep, and probably from the fall from earlier as well.

Brittany giggles and scrunches up her nose adorably, making Santana's chest swell with nothing but adoration for the woman.

"Hey deformed sleepy head."

Her face falls and she looks at Brittany with an expression that was a mixture of confusion and disgust.

"_DEFORMED_?"

Brittany pulls the edges of her lips down from her smile in a way that showed more of her lower teeth in a guilty smile.

"Yeah," she sucks in a long hissing breath through her teeth, "you fell on your forehead and it's bumpy and... gross."

She couldn't help but be offended, albiet only slightly. After all, the only reason for the wound she now has on her head and -she prays isn't the case- possibly the awakening of Mr Tumour up there in her head was because she needed to protect Brittany.

She rolls her eyes, squinting from the pain it gave her and laments, "It happened only because I wanted to protect you."

Brittany's face softens, brows pulling upwards, lips pressing together and she sighs through her nose, shaking her head while doing so.

"I know," she whispers, tracing the pad of her fingers gently from Santana's forehead down to the woman's jaw. Blue eyes follow the trail of her fingers before darting back to Santana's eyes and the sudden movement causes the latina's breath to hitch.

"You keep doing that. Stop it. You don't have to do that."

Fingers lingering at her jawline.

Not that she minded though, if she could have her way, she'd want to feel Brittany's touch for the whole of her miserably short eternity.

"I can't stop," is all she can say, though truthfully, she can't really recall any other time she'd risked her life for Brittany.

It's after a few seconds of silence that she feels a sudden weight on her stomach, like someone, or something pounced onto her.

Something, _big_. And she thinks she might have an idea what it is.

"Is that Tubby..." She deadpans, not having to crane her neck to see the entity to know what it is.

Brittany rolls her eyes in the way she had clearly picked up from Santana.

"He's not _Tubby_, he's just a little chubby."

"Exactly my point. _Lord Tubby-ton_."

"It's _Tubbing_-Ton," Brittany corrects, frankly sounding a little enraged.

"Alright, alright, Lord Chubbington."

"Hey!" Brittany scolds, slapping the woman's arm and jerking her knee, signalling for her to get up.

The sudden movement gives Santana a sharp pain in her head and she flinches.

"Shit I'm sorry it slipped my mind it's just you kept making fun of my cat and I don't like it," Brittany rushes to explain herself and tend to the pain Santana was obviously feeling.

Santana manages to sit up straight with a little help from Brittany who hurries to lift the feline off her abdomen and support her back.

"It's okay," she grunts, opening and closing her eyes to get the dizziness away, "you did help me up. So it's okay."

Brittany covers her mouth with her hand and giggles, like a little child. While Santana would have rolled her eyes and waved the person off if they did so, the action suited Brittany perfectly. She doesn't know how the woman's able to be so childlike at one time and then be so wise the next.

"What?" She asks, lips twitching upwards along with Brittany's amused giggles.

Brittany looks up from ducking her head and covering her mouth.

"Why are you being so polite? It's so unlike you."

"It is? It's normal to be polite to strangers isn't it?" She supplies, watching Brittany with confusion.

"Strangers?" Brittany asks, hand slowly falling into her lap, her face mirroring it.

"Fr-friends?"

"Friends," the woman breathes, eyes darting from one brown eye to the other, studying Santana.

Then she looks at Santana with that look. That look that spells disappointment and whole lot of sadness and Santana's momentarily stunned.

She doesn't know _why_ Brittany's looking at her that way but it's unnerving because it makes her feel almost... Inadequate.

So she tears away from Brittany's searching eyes because it's making her head hurt more, to survey the area. It catches her attention, the fact that they were no longer at the park because it was no longer a wide expanse of green grass and trees. There's a house behind them; a classic bungalow with a small front porch.  
It's brown with odd circular windows and a swing right at the porch.

It definitely wasn't one of your regular houses, but Santana liked it instantly.

It felt, homey.

"That your house?" She asks, still looking at it.

Brittany's hesitation was obvious and Santana picks it up but chooses to ignore it.

"Ye-yeah it's m-my house," there's trembling in her voice and Santana's chest constricts.

She really hates it when Brittany's sad. There isn't anything she can do, however.

"It's really nice. Feels homey."

"Thanks. I didn't design it though."

Santana's head turns over so quickly, her head begins to throb again. But she doesn't care because, _shit_. They were at Brittany's house.

Brittany's house where her _family_ resides. If they were found here like this, it would undoubtedly cause some tension to arise between Brittany and her spouse.

As much as Santana wanted Brittany, she cared more about Brittany being happy. And happy wouldn't be what Brittany would feel if her family falls apart.

(Also she refuses to be the whore that screws familips u[.)

She gulps and begins to fumble around, trying to get up.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Brittany asks, flustered and worried at the woman's sudden reaction.

"I'm leaving," she says, keeping her voice as strong as she possibly can.

"Why?"

Santana refuses to look up at Brittany and instead twists around to look for the shoes that were no longer on her feet.

"Where are my shoes," she mutters, sight beginning to blur.

"San?"

"Come on, come on, where are my fucking shoes."

"_SANTANA_," Brittany practically shouts and it was loud. Loud enough for it to echo through the empty streets of the neighbourhood and come ringing back into Santana's ear.

She hesitates but when Santana finally looks up, Brittany asks yet again, "what are you doing?"

"I'm leaving, Brittany," she all but snarls her name.

Before, Brittany made her feel everything one could possibly feel that's positive. Everything from excitement, to mesmerisation, to happiness and even as she might try her hardest, it's deniable that she's falling for Brittany. Fast. Hard.

But right at this instance, she feels angry.

She feels angry and sad, but mostly angry. Because Brittany's jeopardising her family ties just for a day of fun with a girl she _knows_ wouldn't live long.

Family first and foremost, that's the mark of a good person.

Right now, Santana doesn't think Brittany's any good.

"Why?" It's soft, like Brittany already knows.

"Because you're married Brittany. You're married and we can't... We can't do this," she gestures between them.

Brittany flashes her a look of hurt that's surprisingly hard as well and she holds it.

"Who says I'm married," she almost flinches while saying.

Santana's eyes drift down to the woman's left hand where she knows a silver band would be around a third finger and remains silent.

For the first time ever since knowing of it's existence, she realises that there's a long inscription on the silver band and her curiosity gets the better of her.

She daringly reaches out for the woman's left hand and brings it up to her face, so she could read the inscription clearly.

I'D CROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND THE SEAS, MY -

It cuts off and no matter how much she turns the ring around there isn't a continuation on the ring.

It's weird. Because she feels she should know how the sentence ends.

Her chest hurts. Her head hurts.

_Her chest and head hurts._

Why did Brittany possess the power to make her so pained?

"There's a cliche inscription on the ring and you dare deny you're married?"

Brittany's glare is strong and her eyes a burning blue ember when she suggests, "cliche?" she raises an eyebrow, "let's play a game of truth or dare and maybe you'll find out if I am married."

_A GAME_.

"How could you play a game at-"

"Just, do it."

They have a round of the infamous stare-down for awhile before Santana huffs with resignation.

She doesn't even know why she'd gone on with the stare down with Brittany. She wouldn't have lasted a minute with Brittany's intense blue eyes.

"Fine, fine. But first, where are my shoes?"

She begins to rummage around the yellow cloth they were on.

"Check under the cloth?" Brittany suggested and Santana shifts to do so.

The yellow blanket covers her head as she ducks under it. Her eyes scan the little bit of ground she could see and just as spots the head of her black flats, Brittany ducks under as well and their eyes meet.

She's stunned because there's a weird feeling swirling in her tummy.

Brittany with a yellow cloth above her head, Brittany with a yellow tint on her face, Brittany with yellow accentuating her freckles and making her eyes pop. The way Brittany looks under the overcast of the yellow cloth is causing a tornado to form in her stomach.

She looked... She looked the best one could possibly look under yellow.

"Did you cover me with a blanket just now?" She asks, blowing a little bit of air into the tiny tent they've created, lifting the blanket a little and exposing Brittany's left hand.

The ring catches her eye. But she can't fathom as to why it does.

Because it's shiny?

Brittany's shakes her head, "No. No I didn't."

"Oh. I could've sworn you did," she mutters, mind somewhere else.

When she refocuses on Brittany, the girl's looking at her like _that_ again.

The look with the glint in her blue eyes. The look that she'd seen on her face countless times and yet, the look that she couldn't help but feel annoyed about not being able to decipher.

"Why are you-"

"Starting with the questions already San?" Brittany cuts in with a smirk, "told you. The truth or dare will do you good."

Santana reaches for her black flats, grabs them and hurries out from under the cloth.

"Yeah. Whatever. Come on."

She couldn't deny though. Truth or dare would do great at answering the questions she has.

Since there were _a lot_ of questions.

* * *

They settle at the brown couch of Brittany's living room that Santana practically falls into. The couch was just the amount of soft and dense a couch should be.

"You have an amazing couch," she sighs, closing her eyes and relaxing.

She hears Brittany padding back and when she opens her eyes, sees that the blonde already had a blue and maroon mug in her hand.

Whatever is in the cup, smells incredible.

Santana's senses perks.

"Making yourself at home already?"

"Whatever, what's in the cup?" She asks, craning her neck to look over the cup.

"Hot chocolate."

It _did_ smell like hot chocolate but with a tinge of something else...

"Cinnamon?"

"Yes," Brittany giggles, "cinnamon."

"How did you make it so fast?" Santana hadn't even heard Brittany walk away, all she heard was the woman walking _back_.

"Oh, a whole pot of it stays there from the morning. I heated it after I brought you back from the park. All I did was put a little swirl of whipped cream and lit it up."

Santana picks up the cup and takes a cautious sip, thinking it would be hot. But it wasn't. It was of perfect temperature and it was probably the best hot chocolate she's ever hadn't

"You must be a wonderful mum," she says, looking over the cup at the woman who was sitting on a less comfortable wooden chair opposite her. She must have pulled it over just for Santana's convenience because it was at an uncanny position.

"It don't know how to make it."

Santana's heart sinks and she hides it by taking another sip of her wonderful cup of hot chocolate.  
"Then you must have a wonderful husband? Or... Wife?"

"Nice try Dr. Watson."

"Dr. Watson?"

Brittany smirks like Santana has fallen right into her trap. "Because you're clearly not Sherlock."

It makes Santana laugh and the air from Santana's laugh sends the swirl of whipped cream flying off her cup onto the glass table in front of her.

"Oh, shit."

She wants to apologise, but Brittany's guffawing and she can't help but join in.

* * *

The sky's dark, darker than it was when they were laying outside and Santana just wants to leave and let Brittany have her life back.

"Okay, let's get this over and done with," she says, putting her mug down onto a coaster that said 'McKinley High Gleek'

"You always being in a rush to leave kinda hurts," Brittany says airily, making it seem nonchalant but her eyes betray this demeanour she's trying to pull.

Santana sighs and settles into the couch, making herself comfortable.

"I'm not- Let's just start. It's not like we have anything else to do anyways."

"We do," Brittany counters, blue eyes growing darker and lips turning up a little at the right.

Santana gulps and thanks whoever she can for her dark skin.  
"W-we can do that after we're done with the game and your ring turns out to be a friendship ring. Although I suspect you might be in love with the other person wearing the other ring."

Brittany chuckles, eyes no longer a dark blue.

"Okay. It's a deal."

Santana smirks.  
"Deal."

When Brittany reaches to the back of her shorts and whips out her phone, Santana gets the feeling that she has just fallen into another one of Brittany's ingenious ploys and she wonders about the possibilities of getting out of it.

Brittany places the device flat on the glass table, turns the device towards her and then pulls her hand back, showing no intention of unlocking her phone by herself.

With trembling hands, Santana reaches out for the phone, presses reluctantly on the home button and holds her breath as the number pad slides up from the bottom of the screen.

"I gave you hot chocolate, so I get to choose who begins the game first, and I choose you."

Santana's reluctant and on the brink of protesting but says, "okay..."

"Okay," Brittany begins, "I dare you to unlock my phone."

"I-"

"Are you game?" Brittany cuts in, challenging the Latina.

It's but a simple threat, but it strikes Santana like a thunder rod somewhere and suddenly it doesn't FEEL like a simple threat at all.

"Game..." She nods.

0 8... She glides her finger across the screen of the iPhone. Santana dares a look upwards, meeting Brittany's eyes before continuing, 1...  
...2

With a familiar 'click' the display of the phone switches over to one where a few apps populate a picture of two hands, interlaced at the pinky and touching at the thumb.

A promise.

She looks at the picture for awhile trying to figure out why it looked so... uncanny. The picture looked... Coloured.

"I have a spin the bottle app," Brittany says, pulling the woman out of her reverie.

Santana tilts her head back up and scrunches her eyes up before opening them again.

Her head was beginning to hurt.

Brittany reaches over and taps an app with a glass coke bottle as it's icon and it opens up looking exactly as she thought it would look like.

A simple coke glass bottle, laying on a wooden table.

Santana laughs mockingly, exhaling sharply through her nose and gives Brittany the, 'really?' Look.

"What?" The woman reacts, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly, "I like playing truth or dare."

"Clearly."

"Whatever."

Brittany reaches over and makes an arc on the screen of her phone, sending the phone into a spiral.

They watch in anticipation as the bottle spins and spins and spins.

"Cap picks the answerer," Brittany says.

Finally, the bottle ends with it's cap pointing directly at Santana.

She huffs.

"Is this rigged?"

"Ha ha," Brittany fake laughs, "you wish. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

She wouldn't do a dare. Santana's pretty sure Brittany's capable of thinking up ridiculous things.

"How did you figure out my passcode?"

"I saw it on the dashboard of your car. The side where there's a compartment," Santana lied. Truthfully, Santana isn't really sure. She thinks she might have caught Brittany unlocking her phone from before and that's probably how she had picked up on it.

"Yeah," she repeats, "saw it somewhere." As if to reassure herself.

The look Brittany gives her is dubious and Santana avoids Brittany's eyes because she feels almost transparent under the woman's glare.

"sure..." Brittany drawls, trying to recall if she had indeed written or pasted her passcode on the dashboard. The probabilities are high.

"Spin it," the blonde orders, jerking her head towards the phone.

Santana does as instructed, drawing an arc like Brittany had earlier and watches as the bottle begins to spin.

This time, the tip of the bottle points to the side; where neither of them were sitting.

"It's closer to you," Santana quickly says, "your turn."

Brittany opens her mouth to protest at first, then shrugs.

"Okay."

"Truth or dare?"

Brittany smirks, "dare."

"Britt. You-" she begins to whine but Brittany shakes her head.

"There's a tactic to every game. In scissors paper stone it's figuring out a pattern in your opponent and in truth or dare, well, it's not giving the person what they want. So, dare."

Somehow, Santana was rather awed by the woman.

Deciding that it would benefit neither of them if she continues to whine  
-knowing Brittany's odd sense of wisdom would render her speechless as usual- she makes the most out of it.

"Fine. Take your top off for the rest of the game."

It stuns her at first; how bold she was, but then Brittany's looking at her with wide eyes and a bashful blush and all she's doing is shrugging and smirking like Brittany KEEPS doing.

"An eye for an eye Britt. An eye for an eye."

Brittany tries to roll her eyes begrudgingly but she's still blushing and simpering and Santana gets the feeling that she actually _wants to_ do it.

Santana finds out that Brittany's a super stripper. The woman had taken less than a second for her hoodie to slip up her head and be thrown to the floor.

Santana also discovers that Brittany's body is unreal. The woman's flat abdomen had a defined line that disappears somewhere near the dip of her belly button and it makes her want to know where it _actually_ ends.

"Wipe the drool off you face San."

"What? I-" she shakes her head, gulping and running her palm down her jeans because her palm's sweaty and she's beginning to get tingly.

"Come on, truth or dare San?"

She tears her eyes reluctantly from the unbelievable sight in front of her, looks down to the phone and sees that the bottle was pointing to her again. Yeah, the app's clearly rigged.

"Dare."

"Dare?"

She knows she'd fumble through the question if Brittany were to shoot her another question. Her mind's too filled with... Other things. Thoughts she'd never admit to anyone about having.

Especially not Brittany.

"I dare you to kiss me again."

Santana regrets her decision the moment Brittany declares her dare. She'd rather fumble through a question and be a total perverse idiot.

"Game? Or no game?" The blonde asks when Santana shows no intention of moving.

Again, the question jolts her nerves and for some reason whatsoever, she finds that she's unable to say no. It's like second nature.

Gathering her courage and wiping the perspiration of her palms onto her jeans, she lifts herself off the couch.

It wasn't that she didn't want to kiss Brittany. It's just that she feels she _shouldn't_ kiss Brittany.

Everything's out like a deck of neatly placed, upturned cards; clear and undeniable. It's clear that Brittany's out of her mind and it's clear that she shouldn't kiss Brittany, although she has attempted it before. It's clear that Brittany's obviously married and it's clear that she shouldn't kiss Brittany.

It's clear that she shouldn't kiss Brittany but as she nears the woman, watching the blue eyes that were darkening and following her every move as she approaches, she feels her body begin to push what's right away.

It's clear that she shouldn't kiss Brittany, but she flings her right leg over the woman's thighs and settles straddling them anyways.

It's clear that she shouldn't kiss Brittany, but her hands have found purchase on the sides of Brittany's neck and the woman's rapid pulse and defined jaw line is all she can feel.

It's clear that she shouldn't love Brittany, but she does.

Santana sees Brittany's lips spread into a small smile and realises that the woman's smiling into the kiss.

When one is able to smile into a kiss, how could it be wrong?

She kisses Brittany properly this time, making sure to be gentle as she moves in, sighing with satisfaction as the tips of their lips touch lightly and there's no sharp pain behind them.

The deck of cards were now strewn to the floor along side Brittany's pink hoodie.

* * *

The next few seconds are everything Santana thinks a kiss should be.

She parts her lips a little and moves in to give Brittany a fuller kiss, dragging her lower lip across Brittany's until the woman's upper lip is trapped between both of hers before moving her head back, releasing the pressure of their lips and avoiding the woman's sharp nose as she turns her head to the left, pivoting on the soft pink skin and enjoying the way their lips cling onto the other and creasing.

Their mouths are agape when Santana begins to move the other parts of her body, pulling her shoulders up to her ears and hooking her ankles on the back legs of the chair, pulling their bodies closer.

This time, Brittany reciprocates, she moves to show that Santana isn't the only one involved in the kiss.

Santana gasps, sucking in a deep breath when she feels cold hands slide into the back of her jeans and under her underwear.

"Wha-what are you doing?" She breathes, eyes still closed and lungs still sucking in deep breaths of Brittany air as if it's a necessity.

"Shut up and kiss me," Brittany demands softly and kneads the flesh in her hands.

Santana lets out a high pitched squeak and subsequently let's go of the last thread of sanity she feels she has left.

She moves back in, emboldened.

This time, she drags her tongue across Brittany's lower lip daringly and the woman sucks the muscle in her mouth without a second's worth of hesitation.

Santana's eyes roll to the back of her head when she's inundated with Brittany's taste. It's everything she had imagined and more.

Now all her senses are filled with all that's Brittany and she never wants the feeling to stop.

Touch, smell, taste and..

She opens her eyes.

Brittany's eyes are already open and she's looking at Santana in the way she always does that confuses Santana. The problem about that look was: it makes Santana's heart pound like nothing ever does and it makes Santana yearn to see it time and time and again.

...Sight.

The kiss was all non-existent fireworks, tingling nerves, butterflies, thumping hearts and every princesses's fairytale kiss come true and Santana finds that she's no longer able to control her feelings towards Brittany.

The confession's at the tip of her tongue, when the door begins to click like someone's turning a key in it's lock and Brittany springs into action like it has happened countless times before.

Brittany practically lifts Santana off herself, grabs the woman's hand and darts to the back of the wooden staircase where there's a secret compartment. Like a storeroom of sorts.

The door clicks shut to a deafening silence.

"Brittany? What's wrong? Is your spouse back?" Santana panics, whispering as fast and quietly as she can.

Brittany remains silent, leaving Santana to her nerves.

"Britt.." She whispers harshly, not daring to move.

An old hanging bulb statics to life all of a sudden and it turns out that the woman was too preoccupied with searching for the switch to turn the lights on, to answer the countless amount of questions Santana was firing at her.

Santana realises the room consisted of much lesser space than she had initially predicted because with Brittany looking up at the lightbulb, the perfume she's wearing permeates Santana's nose; so strong that it stings.

The lightbulb flickers on and off and on and off and Santana watches as Brittany fiddles with the string that turns it on, trying to keep the light on. With on last pull, Brittany's lower lip hiding behind her teeth from the upper row, the lightbulb finally stops flickering but is stuck at a perpetual dull.

Satisfied, Brittany turns back to face Santana, giggling as the tips of their nose graze against each other.

The failing light bulb casts a faint glow on the right side of Brittany's face and the effect it has on the blonde is almost ethereal.

There's padding of feet just out the door and a teenager's voice shouts, "anybody home? There's two cups of hot chocolates on the table and I'm quite sure it belongs to you mum!"

Santana snorts because Brittany _is_ married. She even has a child.

She's stuck _and_ in love with a married woman, who has a child.

Double whammy much?

Santana doesn't even find it in herself to feel hurt anymore. Still, that doesn't mean that her heart isn't palpitating so fervently in her chest that she's afraid Brittany could hear it.

"So you are married then?"

The blue eyes begin to sparkle and then the glint is back. Brittany's giving Santana _the look_ again.

"Are you sure you want to ask that question? You've only got one question left" Brittany states, the side of her eye creasing as the only sign that she's smiling. Grinning actually, Santana thinks.

"We're _still_ on truth and dare," she observes matter-of-factly, looking at Brittany to see if the woman was being serious.

When Brittany doesn't answer straight away, she sighs through her nose.

"No, what I really want to ask is, why do you keep looking at me like..."

Her nose itches when Brittany tilts her head to the side in that adorable questioning motion and reveals half of her left eye as well. There's no doubt now, the way Brittany's looking at her.

"Like what?"

"Like I mean the freaking world to you."

Brittany continues to look at her, gaze unwavering before moving forward slowly and before Santana could say anything, she's got her lips pressed up against Santana's and all the woman could do is close her eyes and revel in the wonderful feeling Brittany gives her.

Brittany pulls back with a wet pop and whispers against plump lips, "cause you do."

Her heart skips a beat before it's leaping against the insides of her rib-cage, yearning to fall into the very grasps of Brittany. Santana knows she shouldn't be so happy, but she was, elated; freaking ecstatic and she feels like she's about to faint.

And she was, until the door to their hiding place yanks open and the elusive duo is introduced to well functioning light again.

She turns her head and after her eyes adjust to the sudden invasion of light, she sees the brunette with Brittany's blue eyes looking up at them with brows pulled together. _Dolphin_. The girl from Brittany's phone.

"Shit," she curses, feet inching to slide between the teenager and the wall, dart out of the house and never look back. But she feels Brittany grip her hand and give it a little yank as if to say '_stay_'

So she does and she can't say isn't glad she did because the brunette turns to Brittany and looks the woman up and down "first of all mom," she lifts a single amused brow at Brittany's half naked state, "kinky navy blue bra."

Then she turns to look at Santana and she realises just how much her blue eyes resembled Brittany's when they begin to dart back and forth between her own, much like Brittany's had earlier.

Then, to the latina's surprise, Dolphin's eyes begins to water and her lips spreads into a bright bright smile and Santana's heart swells because it feels like it should.

"I've missed you. Welcome home again, Mami."

* * *

So chapter 4 isn't the end. Turns out chapter 5 is. 4 isn't even a nice number anyways. HAHHA. No, IKid, I couldn't finish it.

Hope I didn't bore you, have a nice day (:


	5. Chapter 5

**It's Simple: Chapter 5 (finale)**

33 years ago...

"_Mami! I don't want to go to school!" The child practically screams, grabbing the hem of her mother's maroon sweater and letting her weight fall back onto the heels of her feet. _

_They've been going at this for almost the whole morning already and if Santana still refuses to relent, she'd be late for her very first day of kindergarten. _

_"Don't be stubborn!" Anne Lopez reprimands, dragging the whining toddler behind her with ease, through the living room. _

_When they reach the wooden ground of the front porch, the tip of her black shoes stubs against a loose plank and Santana falls on her hands and feet, sending her to a whole new level of crying. _

_Anne Lopez rushes to her daughter's side and cradles the toddler in her arms, pressing Santana's forehead onto her shoulder so she knows her mother has come for her. _

_The older woman begins to hum and Santana stops crying instantly, marvelled by the tune she has heard so many times. _

_"Why do you always sing that song?" Santana asks, moving her head away from her mother's shoulder to address the woman instead. _

_Anne Lopez smiles, "because it's Mami's and Papi's song."_

_Santana's face falls, because she doesn't understand why her mother would sing a song about her father and remind herself of the tragedy. She also remembers her father humming it to her as she falls asleep. And she misses him._

_"What's it about?"_

_"The song?"_

_Santana nods her head vigorously, forgetting that she was just crying and whining about not wanting to go to school._

_Anne Lopez shifts the toddler in her arms because they were beginning to ache - her daughter was growing up fine and dandy - and she settles on the ground with Santana in her lap. With a mother's hand, she brings the stray fringe hindering her daughter's sight to the back of her head and gently wipes her daughter's eyes dry. _

_"It's about love, honey."_

_"Love? What's that? It sounds complicating." The tiny girl scrunches her face up in confusion and swipes her mother's bangs to the side as well. _

_Anne Lopez laughs and shakes her head, "it's not complicating. It's simple."_

_Santana doesn't understand what her mother means, but she keeps quiet and begins to ponder about it. _

_Because she wants to. _

_This thing called love, she wants to understand it._

* * *

_26 years ago, at the age of 12, Santana meets Brittany for the very first time. _

_"Hey, turn on your charm, Puckerman's here," Quinn nudges Santana with her elbow. _

_Santana follows Quinn's line of sight and looks up from the white stain on the collar of cheer leading costume. _

_She had expected to see the Mohawked quarterback wannabe she's been pining on for years, but her ear picks up on someone humming a familiar tune and she whips her head to the sound instead. _

_She catches a head of blonde hair, shiny like the sun, swishing away into the bathroom. _

_"Are you hungover? Puckerman just winked at you and you were staring into the air. If THAT'S the Lopez charm I don't think I can be your friend anymore."_

_Santana rolls her eyes and slaps Quinn on the arm, because she knows Quinn's just worried. _  
_~•~ (warning: random remark. looks like a man doing a wave. I wanna do a wave like that too)_  
_That very same day, Santana had to stay back in school for detention._

_The classroom's empty and Santana sighs, because it's Friday, of course no one's in detention. She settles at the far end of the class room and takes out a random notebook to create the illusion that she's actually doing some work. Teachers like it when you're doing some kind of work._

_She's drawing an ugly picture of a shoe when Mr Schuester greets the other student that's in for detention._

_Santana smirks because she wasn't the only one. _

_"Brittany? You're late for detention."_

_The girl simply hums and begins to walk towards the end of the classroom. Santana hears the footsteps gaining on her and then the girl drags the seat next to hers and sits down. _

_She doesn't look up to survey the girl because she doesn't know a Brittany and she's really comfortable with her head on her arms. _

_Until her partner in detention writes something on a piece of paper, takes out an old music box from her bag, tucks it in and swiftly places it on the edge of Santana's table. _

_That's when she looks up and that's when her heart begins to palpitate because there's blondie. The humming blondie. _

_Brittany. _

_Brittany has wonderful blonde hair, a dazzling smile and beautiful eyes. _

_Brittany looks at Santana and rolls her eyes down to the music box, urging Santana to open it. _

_This time, Santana bothers to. She picks the music box up, pries open the lid and picks the piece of paper up._

_"I'm bored. Let's play truth or dare."_

_A frown grows on Santana's face and she looks back up to Brittany questioningly._

_"Mr Schuester," she mouths and jerks her head to the teacher in front. _

_Brittany simply nods and smirks. _

_"Are you game?" the girl mouths back, teasing Santana with her blue eyes. _

_Who's she? She's Santana Lopez. _

_"Game." _

_They spend the next three hours -Three hours, because the teacher had to delay their release for not behaving themselves, twice- passing the music box back and forth._

_But who cares? Brittany's the most fun she's had in a long time. _

* * *

_At 16, Santana break's Brittany's heart for the first time..._

_"I can't believe you just dared me into watching beauty and the best with you, AGAIN," Santana laments, shifting to lay on Brittany's lap._

_"What? It's a beautiful show! And you're Pocahontas, so isn't Belle your cousin or something."_

_Santana opens her eyes to see that Brittany's smirking and watching her favourite Disney show. It's then that she realises that Brittany wasn't just kidding. _

_Her heart swells in a way a heart shouldn't for a best friend and she asks, softly, "so you think that I'm a Disney princess?"_

_Brittany spares Santana a brief look before looking back to the television, eyebrows furrowing and it's a tell tale sign that she's feeling guilty. But Santana doesn't notice anything. _

_"You are one," Brittany replies, shrugging her shoulders like it's a well known fact._

_At that moment, the Santana that has always been a master at concealing her feelings for Brittany, she bursts. Her chest feels tight and with Brittany stroking through her hair and telling her that she's a princess, it feels like she isn't able to hide anymore. That if she wants to continue being normal -relatively- around Brittany, she'll need to release some of the tension. _

_So she reaches for the remote control, points to the relative direction of the television and presses the pause button._

_The movie pauses and it catches Brittany's attention. The girl tears her attention away from the television to look down at Santana._

_Santana has a look on her face that's new; a look that Brittany doesn't identify and that rarely happens. Brittany knows every expression Santana has and not knowing this makes her feel a little afraid. Maybe Santana noticed that something's wrong, she should tell Santana now, before something bad happens. Before she's too late. _

_Unfortunately, she realises, she is. _

_"San, I've got to tell you something.."_

_Santana shakes her head and holds Brittany's eyes._

_"It's my turn in truth or dare."_

_Brittany snaps her mouth shut and nods her head in silent compliance._

_"And I dare you to kiss me."_

_It shocks Brittany and she has to ask for Santana to repeat her dare to truly believe Santana's dare. _

_"You, you want me to ki-kiss you? Like on the cheek?"_

_Santana rolls her eyes, "no. Not on the cheek, I don't have to use my one dare to ask for that." _

_Brittany's hands begin to get clammy and she feels she should tell Santana what she wanted to say before Santana initiated the dare, but then Santana's giving her a challenging look and throwing out a,_

_"Are you game?" _

_And she just can't refuse. Also she's always really really REALLY wanted to kiss Santana, so this was kind of a dream come true._

_Brittany begins to lean in, studying every contour and dip on Santana face. She searches and searches for a flaw that'll make her heart stop beating so insanely for the girl, but she comes up short. _

_Who was she kidding? Princesses are flawless. _

_She closes her eyes and their lips meet in a shaky touch. _  
_~•~_  
_Santana didn't know how she could begin to describe the way Brittany's lips felt on hers. She'd probably start listing all the good in the world, but she knew all of that wouldn't even add up to a THIRD of what she was feeling. _

_Brittany's lips were soft and DAMN, her best friend really knows how to kiss. _

_She feels Brittany begin to pull away, so she hurriedly raises her arm and places her palm on the back of Brittany's neck to keep the girl there._

_Brittany smiles and she feels the stretch on her lips, making her smile too. _

_Santana opens her mouth and slips her tongue into Brittany's partially open mouth, hearing the girl gasp at her audacity while she gasps at how marvellous Brittany's tongue feels. _

_If Santana was Pocahontas, Brittany was definitely John Smith_  
_~•~ _  
_The kiss was slow and full and it lasted for who knows how long before they finally pull apart. Even then, it was because their jaws were getting so sore and they could hardly feel their lips. _

_"Wow," Santana breathes, thinking about how this was officially the best dare ever._

_The air was cozy and blissful and it was nothing like she'd thought kissing a girl would be. She didn't feel like she'd just betrayed her humanity like she thought. _

_Santana was so filled with Brittany joy, that she didn't even notice when the atmosphere begins to change and Brittany begins to worry her bottom lip in-between her teeth. _

_"San, I slept with Mike," she blurts. _

_Santana doesn't say anything, she doesn't even move, she just lays down there, staring at Brittany. The anticipation's practically killing Brittany and she begins to gnaw on her nails._

_They hear the clock ticking away and when the clock begins to chime signalling that it's already 12 am in the morning, Santana slides off Brittany's lap, gathers her clothes and bags and starts for the door. _

_Brittany's crying at this point. Because Santana's not saying anything and she's leaving. She usually kisses Brittany on the cheek, or ruffles her hair or gives her a hug before she leaves, but right now, she's just... Leaving. _

_It gives Brittany the sense that Santana isn't just leaving her house for the day. But she asks anyways, hopeful. _

_"San? You're coming back tomorrow right?"_

_"No."_

_"I promise I won't make you watch Beauty and the Beast."_

_"No." _

_"I'll give you my dare?"_

_Santana already had the door knob in her hand when Brittany jumps over the back of the sofa and run over to the door. _

_"No."_

_"Don't. S'ana! Don't! I promise I won't do it again! I'll give you my dare! I'll give you my dare!" She brawls, so much tears were falling out of her eyes and making her sight blurry. She can hardly see anything, anything except Santana's head that's hung low and unforgiving. _

_"It's just ALL a game for you isn't it. A never ending game. Our WHOLE relationship is just a damn game to you." Santana finally says and looks at Brittany. _

_The stony expression breaks Brittany's heart but she doesn't know what to say. She remains quiet, lips quivering, cheek wet with tears._

_Santana looks away, eyebrows furrowed and lips pressed into a line. _

_She's no longer looking at Brittany when she speaks again,_  
_"I'll take your dare and I dare you, to not talk to me, to not touch me, don't even FUCKING LOOK at me."_

_Brittany shakes her head vigorously from left to right, "no, no. No San." _

_"You know how a game of truth and dare ends Brittany? It ends when one person can't do the dare the other person dishes."_

_"Then we won't play anymore! We won't play the game anymore," Brittany pleads. _

_Santana laughs menacingly and moves her face closer to Brittany's intimidatingly. For the first time since they became best friends, she feels the grappling fear everyone else in school does when they come face to face with the Fiery Head Cheerleader. _

_"Then we don't have a reason to be friends anymore do we?"_

_"For how long?" Brittany asks, beginning to release the press her back has on the door. _

_"For ten years."_

_Brittany's heart falls but there's no changing Santana's mind when it's made up. _

_So when Santana turns the doorknob, and steps out the door without even sparing Brittany a look, Brittany doesn't give chase._

_~.~_

_She walks and she walks and she walks, mind riddled with the kiss she's had with Brittany earlier and before she knows it, she's at the park that she and Brittany frequents._

_It's there that she drops her stuff and feels her organs begin to behave like it should have when Brittany confessed about sleeping with Mike to her. _

_It's there that she feels everything break within her and she feels she no longer has a reason to be happy. _

_It's there that she realises that she just might understand what 'love' means and that she'd lost it. _

_And it's there that she falls to her knees and cries and cries and cries until the sun finally comes up and she trudges home. _

* * *

_Brittany keeps up the dare and the best friends end school as if they didn't even know each other. _

_Santana's words stays in Brittany's mind and haunts her everyday, "don't talk, don't touch, don't look. Ten years."_

* * *

_ It's ten years later, when Brittany becomes a veterinarian and Santana becomes a lawyer that they finally meet again. _

_The letter comes to Santana and it's a dark red and white envelope. Santana knows what it was even before she opened it and read its contents. There's only one place that sends out red and white cards: McKinley High._

_She's a little reluctant and contemplative at first but gets on the aeroplane to Lima anyways. _

_It surprised her, the amount of people who actually took the time to attend the gathering ceremony and here she thought it would be empty save the geeks and singles who screwed up their lives. _

_In no time, after entering the surprisingly big ball room, she was swarmed by ex-classmates._

_And boy was it a breath of fresh air. _

_"SANTANA LOPEZ!" Quinn's the one to shriek the loudest and practically jumped into her arms. _

_"Woah, woah, pipe the fuck down Alvin (the singing chipmunk)," Santana mocks but returns the hug all the same. _

_Quinn moves away and holds Santana at arms length, grinning widely._

_Santana sighs, because it was so nostalgic and Quinn's smile looked just the same; stunning and genuine. _

_"I see you haven't aged a day Fabray? Still pretending to abstain from sex?"_

_Quinn rolls her eyes and smacks Santana at the shoulder, "No. I have lots of sex, just that I do it with my SPOUSE," she emphasises._

_"NO WAY HOSEH FABRAY. You're fucking married?! How come I don't remember attending it?"_

_Quinn sucks her lips in and smiles._

_"Oh my gosh, is it because it's Puckerman and he really doesn't have money to pay for a real wedding so you guys just went up and registered?"_

_"NO!" Quinn scolds and then blushes as she lowers her voice, "SHE didn't want a grand wedding okay?"_

_Santana opens her mouth so wide Quinn had to grimace._

_ "Ew, can you close your mouth, you haven't swallowed your... Food. What IS tha-"_

_"WHO IS IT!" The Latina grabs Quinn's arms and begins to shake. _

_Quinn could only guffaw, "Rachel! Rachel berry!"_

_Santana fakes a faint so well that Quinn had to genuinely carry her over to a seat nearby. _  
_~•~_  
_It's 30 minutes into the party and Santana's partially drunk, the reason for her reluctance to attend the party now at the far end of her mind. _

_She'd learnt that Quinn was a doctor and Rachel Berry was now a semi-famous singer. Puck's pool cleaning business has really bloomed and Sam now plays basketball professionally, OH! And he's engaged to Mercedes and she's 'SO INVITED' to the wedding. Tina and Mike are now Tina, Mike and their son, Martin. Artie now has funky hair and robot legs that Sugar paid for. Kurt's studying to be a pharmacist while Blaine's studying to be a doctor. Finn's got a girl all the way from France and now works as a gym coach. _

_Well, that's basically it. Everyone has got their happy ending. _

_Then pair by pair, they leave to the middle of the room where the make shift dance floor is located and in her inebriated daze, she feels herself being pulled up as well._

_It turns out to be Puck and he's smirking as he guides her out to the dance floor, wiggling his waist and eyebrows._

_They song's slow and the whole room's on their feet at the dance floor, slow dancing and catching up._

_"So I heard you used to like me?" Puck says, his voice is soft and mellow, nothing about it makes Santana feel like she's being hit on. It's weird. She doesn't ever recall having a conversation with Puck and not having his eyes down her shirt._

_Seems like Puck's grown up too._

_Santana relaxes into his embrace and tightens her arms around his neck. _  
_She closes her eyes and rests her chin on his broad shoulder._

_"I did. You looked ridiculously hot with that FASHIONABLE Mohawk."_

_Puck pinched her back and she jumps._  
_His laughter is a low rumble. It sounded old._

_"It was a teenager thing. I wanted to be cool."_

_"Oh you were cool alright. Especially with that Mohaw-"_

_"Stop it lesbro," he snarls in her ear. _

_She laughs. _

_They quiet the banter and continue to twirl and twirl before the whole room shifts and people are simultaneously changing partners. _

_It kind of frustrates Santana because she was beginning to get comfortable in the arms of Puck but she feels it's actually kind of ingenious. Now everyone gets a chance to catch up with everybody. _

_Her next partner's Sam. He isn't someone she'd have much to say to, but his hold is way more comfortable than Puck's and she doesn't really mind, as long as her partner isn't Mike. _

_"How are you Santana Lopez?"_

_"Mm-mm," she shakes her head; the side of her face scratching against his, "less talking, more dancing."_

_Sam laughs and hugs her tighter._

_By the time the song stops and the next starts, she's already half asleep and falls mindlessly into the arms of her next partner. _

_This person's shoulder's more slender and small. This person's a woman. Santana shrugs it off and continues to rest her forehead on her partner's shoulders with a sigh. _

_Even in her inebriated state, she registers the faint smell of oranges and she remembers the familiar arms wrapped around her. _

_She stills. The person stills. And they're the only pair not moving in the mass of dancing. _

_Santana feels she should pull away and run far far away like she did 10 years ago but part of her didn't want to. Most, of her didn't want to. _

_"Ten years is a long long time, San."_  
_She hears. The voice is deeper, softer, more mature but definitely Brittany's._

_It's been so long. It's been 10 years but her heart's still a slave to the presence of this tall, blonde beauty_

_"Yes," she whispers, voice cracking and eyes beginning to water, "yes it is."_

_"Shhh," Brittany hushes, running her fingers through Santana's hair like she used to do. _

_Santana pulls away after awhile, just to take a look at the blonde. And she does, she takes one long, selfish, satisfying look at the blonde. Taking in the woman's blonde hair that was pulled back into a loose ponytail, taking in the woman's cobalt eyes that were still bluer than any sky she's ever seen, taking in the increased amount of freckles splayed across her face and taking in the woman's pink lips that were spread in a cute and perhaps, unsure lopsided smile._

_Brittany, the mesmerising, wonderful, beautiful, perfect girl. The girl in her dreams was now Brittany, the mesmerising, wonderful, beautiful, perfect girl. _

_The woman of her dreams. _

_She doesn't even realise that there were tears streaming down her cheeks and pooling at her chin until Brittany's hands shift up her back and comes to caress her cheeks; gently wiping beneath her eyes so her make up doesn't smudge. _

_Brittany nudges Santana's head with her hands and leans their forehead together. The blonde closes her eyes with a sigh, but Santana doesn't. She continues to study every new wrinkle and every new freckle on Brittany's face, feeling more and more guilty at every new stress mark she finds. _

_She touches the wrinkle in between Brittany's eyes and then gently grazing across the lids of Brittany's eyes. _

_She couldn't even begin to imagine how much the blue eyes she loved so much had been desecrated by tears that were undoubtedly caused by her short moment of jealousy. She bets Brittany hadn't even known what she had done to deserve 10 years of silence. _

_Santana feels horrible. She feels THE WORST and she begins to build those wall again. The walls that had taken but a second's worth of Brittany's pleading blue eyes and soft humming to completely break. _

_However. Just like always. Brittany shocks her. _

_As if actually feeling those walls being constructed, Brittany tightens her hold on Santana and begins to sing. _  
_To which, Santana's heart melts and she quiets down. The construction of the walls can wait. _

_'Hold me close and hold me fast _  
_The magic spell you cast _  
_This is la vie en rose' _

_Brittany's voice is shaky and it isn't as controlled as Santana's but it moved Santana just the same._

_Santana closes her eyes._

_'When you kiss me heaven sighs _  
_And though I close my eyes _  
_I see la vie en rose' _

_Santana wants to tell Brittany that she had moved to New York and was now a lawyer,_

_'When you press me to your heart _  
_I'm in a world apart _  
_A world where roses bloom' _

_She wants to tell Brittany that she doesn't have anyone in her life because she sat by her phone every night, willing herself to dial the number she'd never forget,_

_'And when you speak_  
_Angels sing from above _  
_Everyday words seem to turn into love songs' _

_She wants to apologise and ask Brittany to come live with her in New York._

_'Give your heart and soul to me _  
_And life will always be _  
_La vie en rose'_

_Instead, of saying all of that and baring her heart to the woman, she scrunches her eyes up, furrows her brows and begins to shake her head. _

_She's a selfish bitch and Brittany doesn't deserve this. _

_She doesn't deserve Brittany. Not even a shred of her empathy. She isn't worthy enough. _

_"I should go.." She whispers, pulling away, "I don't de-"_

_"No. It's not your turn to call the shots Santana," Brittany's voice is firm and her gaze is firmer. Brittany's frustrated._

_"I didn't talk to you, touch you nor did I even LOOK at you for ten years and ten years later, it's not your turn to dare anymore. This time. It's MY turn to dare and if someone needs to leave, It's MY turn to leave." _

_With that, Brittany pulls back voluntarily and with a swirl of blonde hair, walks out of the ballroom with a resounding boom. _

_It's quiet save a relentless buzzing in her ear and the crazy thumping of her heart. And if she isn't mistaken, she can hear everything she had just lost coming back to mock her. _

_She feels lifeless and unconsciously falls to her knees. _

_Every time she isn't without Brittany, she falls to her knees. Helpless. _

_Quinn's the first to realise and then Mercedes and they rush to carry her to the table. _

_Everyone's here. Everyone's at the table and everyone's looking at her like she has made a huge mistake. Like she pressed a wrong button and an atomic bomb was now flying straight for Lima. _

_Somehow, it did feel like she did make a huge mistake. _

_She covers her face with her hands and she begins to cry. _

_It's nothing new she hasn't done. She has been crying silently into her hands for the last ten years, she'll just keep doing it. _

_Except, does she WANT to keep doing it?_

_"Do you want to keep doing this? Why do you keep doing this to yourself?" Quinn vocalises her thoughts. _

_"Shut up," she croaks, shaking her head in her hands. Her make up's probably completely smeared and she probably looks like a freaking ghost, but she doesn't really bother. _

_She just lost Brittany, again._

_"I'm not going to shut up! You let her go once, experienced the WORST ten years of your life and you're doing this again?!"_

_Then Puck speaks up, "it's like people used to speak down on slavery so people will stop subjecting to it but you're that one person who VOLUNTARILY subjects herself to it."_

_"If you're trying to be hipster, this isn't the way to do it," Artie says and everyone turns to glare at him. _

_But all this advice was culminating in Santana's head and she feels the sense forming in her head. Senses she should have had TEN fucking years ago. _

_She raises her face from her palms to look at her friends, all of whom were looking at her with faces contorted with worry and some, even anger. _

_It's Kurt, that finally gets the ball rolling, "so do you love her Santana? Do you really want to lose the person you love AGAIN?"_

_No. She doesn't._

_"No," she declares, sitting up straight and hands curling into a tight fist. _

_"No?" Sam leans forward, "no what?"_

_"I love Brittany," she says, realising she's declared it for the very first time. _

_"I love Brittany," she echoes again._

_"So what are you going to do?" Quinn probes, dipping a napkin into a cup of water and reaching over to wipe the black that was smeared all over her face. _

_Santana keeps quiet, but she smiles, because she knows EXACTLY what she's about to do. She's about to unleash the greatest dare of all time. _  
_~•~_  
_She's been driving and driving for a long time and it's 4 am when she finally spots a head of blonde hair at a cafe nearby. _

_Santana parks her car at the car park opposite and reaches to the back to retrieve an old music box she had gone all the way to Brittany's house to find. _

_Her legs are weak, hands shaking and heart frenzied as she starts towards the cafe. The few other heads of people she sees in the shop simply adding fuel to the fire within her. _

_But if this is was she has to do to even get one last chance with Brittany, she'd do it. _

_She'd do ANYTHING._

_When she opens the wooden door to the cafe, it jingles and everyone looks towards the door. Everyone BUT Brittany. The woman continues to stare at her bottle of beer, twirling it around with creased brow and a mascara filled face. _

_It breaks Santana's heart that she'd caused that. Brittany to cry. _

_The unusually large clock in the cafe clicks every step she takes towards the blonde and when she finally reaches the booth that Brittany's at, it chimes. _

_12 am. _

_At 12 am, ten years ago, she'd destroyed their relationship, at 12 am today, it's her job to salvage it. _

_"Brittany," she says and the woman jerks up straight. _

_She can see that Brittany's eyes are hopeful but the blonde tries to hide it by looking away. _

_"What are you doing here Santana? _

_"It's my turn to dare."_

_She can almost hear Brittany roll her eyes and she knows she deserves it. She deserves the million eye rolls after that as well._

_"It isn't your turn to dare," Brittany deadpans, beginning to twirl the glass bottle again. _

_"It is. You used up your turn when you left." _

_Brittany looks up at Santana, her jaws clenched so hard that the bones were protruding at her jaw line. _

_"That's 'cause YOU were about to leave and I didn't want to be the one to be left behind AGAIN."_

_A lone tear escapes Brittany's eye and Santana fights back the tears threatening to spill out from hers. She reaches out, hovering over the woman's face at first and when Brittany doesn't move her head away, she closes the gap and wipes the tear away._

_No more tears. She'll never let Brittany cry ever again._

_Santana gathers up her courage and gets down on one knee. _

_Brittany's eyes widen and she looks around the cafe before looking back. _

_Santana wants to look around as well, but she knew she didn't have much courage and she needed to cling to the little courage she had. _

_She holds up the music box._

_"I know I'm a total whack job and I'm selfish. I know I broke your heart for ten consecutive years and then tonight, I broke it again. But right now, I want to make it up to you, by presenting this one last dare to you," she pauses for effect, getting bolder and bolder as Brittany's sniffing begins to lessen. _

_"I dare you to love me."_

_Brittany's jaw drops and she heaves a breath of air. _

_"Are you game?"_

_There's no movement from Brittany for a bit, then the woman begins to move, eyes twinkling and mouth stretching into a smile. She slides of her seat, puts her hand on the box and gets down on one knee, mirroring Santana's stance._

_"Then I'll present you with MY dare," she says._

_"I dare you to marry me. Are YOU game?"_

_There isn't even a shred of doubt in her mind when she says, "Game." _  
_~•~ _  
_Remember when Santana didn't understand what 'love' was? Well now she does and it really is simple. _

_To her love is simply one word, one name and one person. _

_Brittany._

* * *

_They got married -it was a grand wedding- and had a daughter that they named Hannah. They thought life would be flawless and they'd grow old together, but then 5 years into their blissful life, Santana begins to get chronic headaches._

_They doctors weren't too sure at first, but Santana begun to become very forgetful and then suddenly forgets about her day completely. It was then that they quickly confirmed that it was brain cancer. _

_The family of three cried for a long long time and every day when Santana comes back home early from work, she would catch Brittany crying on their bed, screaming, "Why?"_

_It's then, that she goes to make a ring for them. She makes a new set of rings with a promise she has for Brittany. _

_On their 7th year anniversary after a round of mind blowing sex -Brittany's as flexible as a rubber band- Santana pulls their yellow blanket over their heads and grab the rings from their nightstand. _

_She takes a long look at Brittany face like she always does and tries her best to ingrain it into her mind, just to make this promise more real than it already is. _

_"Give me your hand Britt," she orders._

_"Why?" Then her eyes widen and the blue hues are just so majestical under the yellow, "you want to go again? You animal!"_

_Santana blushes and giggles because she DOES, but she wants to give Brittany her promise first. So her wife would stop crying. She promised that she wouldn't ever let Brittany cry again. _

_"No. Okay fine, Later. First, I wanna give you this," she says and brings out the one ring that isn't worn. _

_Brittany's smile widens as Santana slides it onto her fourth finger. _

_"What's this?" She asks, squinting to read the inscription, but Santana covers her hand and brings it to her lips instead. The Latina has the promise memorised by heart. _

_"It's my promise. To you."_

_Santana watches as Brittany eyes begin to water. _

_It's a promise, and Brittany knows it's more than just physical. _

_They both cried that night and this time, it was Santana who held Brittany to her chest as she sang. _

_'Hold me close and hold me fast _  
_The magic spell you cast _  
_This is la vie en rose'_

* * *

Present day.

Santana remembers it all, she remembers that Brittany's her wife and she remembers that Dolphin was a nickname given to her daughter by her friends when she was younger and couldn't pronounce her name correctly, so she introduced her self as 'Daughter Of Lopez Pierce' instead.

She remembers that the cafe that they were at earlier was the cafe she had proposed to Brittany at.  
She remembers that the house was personally designed by her, furnitures hand picked by her.  
She remembers where the promise ring is and that's around her neck.

And she remembers the promise she made for Brittany.

She remembers _everything_ but she slides in between her daughter and the wall and ran right out of her house, only stalling for a moment when Brittany runs out to the front porch and shouts, obviously crying, "I'D CROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND THE RIVERS!"

Santana knows it's her queue to shout back, but she doesn't. She remembers the promise. She remembers it by heart and _that's_ why she couldn't say it back.

Santana starts into a run again until she reaches the park and trips over a twig.

She doesn't even pick herself up, she doesn't have the energy to do so.

They say talking takes up a lot of energy and the last of her energy was used to do just that.

"_I'd cross the mountains and the rivers, my love, just to come back to you_."

* * *

It's the same brown building, it's the same boring 'ding' and it's the same clocking of her shoes on the ground but nothing's the same.

"Hey Santana!" Kurt shouts enthusiastically and she wonders how long he's been feigning it.

"Hey Tinkerbel. Don't worry, Doctor McGel isn't here. I checked. Anyways, you've been crushing on him for forever, why don't you get married already."

Kurt's shocked and he looks at her while incredulous eyes, " we ARE marr- YOU REMEMBER?!"

Kurt looks like he wants to hold her hands while jumping for joy in a circle, but she doesn't want to, so she flashes him a sad smile and stalks away to the seat at the back.

This time she makes sure not to fall asleep and watches the clock vigilantly, hoping the doctor will be ready for her before Brittany comes in for her daily routine.

* * *

It's 3 pm and it's dangerously close to the time when the blonde would bound in with her large cat.

Kurt's been giving her suspicious looks that she duly avoids.

Then, the doctor sticks his head out and calls her name and she jumps up from her seat, practically sprinting into the man's office.

The moment she sits down she asks, "what can you do to help me to remember? If not could you move me to another hospital? Somewhere far far away?"

Doctor... Harris, she reads, looks at her with sad eyes and asks, "why? I could do that, but I would need a valid reason."

So Santana tells him her reasons.  
Because she wants her wife to stop working extra hours just to keep the family afloat.  
Because she wants her daughter to go to college.  
Because she wants her wife to own a dance studio like she has always wanted to.  
Because she wants a better life for her family and having brain cancer's stealing half of their savings away.

Dr. Harris nods but asks again, "why?"

She reads in between the lines and she understands that he's asking why she would risk ruining her life.

Santana laughs bitterly, because she remembers Brittany using her words on her and touches the ring made into a necklace around her neck.

"It's simple," she looks up to Doctor Harris and holds his gaze, "it's love."

* * *

There! Like it promised, I finished it with 5 chapters. Like the fingers on your hand.

Now, i know some people might not like this ending, so i wrote another one, just scroll down.

But if you like it, then don't scroll down (:

* * *

The door to the room bursts open and both Santana and Doctor Harris jumps in shock.

Santana whips around to see Brittany, eyes red, cheeks flushed and lips quivering.

"I heard all of that," she whispers, "I heard all of that and I think it's _bullshit._"

"No it's not bullshi-"

"Yes! Yes it is! You can't use that reasoning like that!"

Doctor Harris knows he should stop the argument but he simply leans back onto his chair and remains silent.

Santana on the other hand, was determined to get out of this argument and away from here.

"Why not? How do you use it then? It's _my_ words."

Brittany gains on Santana, stopping only when she's nose to nose with her wife. The blonde lifts her hand and lays it over Santana's chest, feeling the beating of the woman's heart.

It's fast. Really really fast and that's how she knows she still has her wife's heart.

"What's your definition of love? If it's so simple, tell me how you would _define_ your love?" Brittany challenges, blue eyes darting from one brown one to the other.

Santana knows what the definition of her love is, she remembers discovering it's definition years ago at the gathering and she knows it hasn't changed; it would _never change._

The very definition of her love, was standing right in front of her.

"_You_."

She hears Brittany gulp and feels the cool hand atop her heart shift to where her necklace is.

"Then don't betray love. Don't betray your catch phrase. Don't betray _me_."

Santana's rendered speechless just by the look of Brittany's inimitable blue hues.

"Game?" Brittany's voice trembles as she asks, tears falling out of her eyes.

Santana follows her heart this time and puts her hand over Brittany's.

"Game."

* * *

Hope i didn't bore you!

Have a nice day (:

Bye!


End file.
